TOP DOG/UNDERDOG at Phoenix Theatre

I love Suzan-Lori Parks. Zach Scott’s production of THE AMERICA PLAY was one of my favorite productions I ever saw when I lived in Austin. Second Wind is currently doing a production of TOP DOG/UNDERDOG, a play which brings back the Lincoln character from the first play. I saw it last night and thought the production was really tight. My friend Ian plays Lincoln, and the riveting David Stillman plays Booth. I really loved it, from the cool set to the awesome direction that plays around with the subtle status changes throughout the play. The dialogue is terrific and funny and exhilirating; the structure of the play is fantastic; the production rocks. In fact, my friend Rick, who saw the original New York production (the one that led to the Pulitizer Prize), said he thought the second act of this production was tighter and more suspenseful than the version he saw, for what it’s worth. And the Phoenix Theatre is a nice little black box theatre that I don’t think many people know about. If you live around here, you might think about checking it out.